Stanislaus health officials raise concern about tuberculosis cases. Who should be tested?

Ken Carlson
·2 min read
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Tuberculosis may be considered a disease of the past, conquered by modern medicine.

But it’s still with us.

Stanislaus County had 15 new cases of active TB in 2022, which was a 50% increase over the previous year, the county Health Services Agency said in a recent news release.

“The number of active TB cases is only the tip of the iceberg,” the news release says. “For every person with active TB disease, many more will have latent TB infection.”

People with a latent infection do not have symptoms and are not infectious, but it can progress to active TB disease if they are not treated. An estimated 10% of asymptomatic cases will develop the active disease.

Those with active tuberculosis in their lungs can spread the disease person-to-person by coughing the germs into the air, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC recommends treating latent TB infection with a short-course medication regimen taking three to four months.

Dr. Thea Papasozomenos, public health officer for Stanislaus County, timed the news release with World TB Day to urge residents to be aware of tuberculosis. She said many people diagnosed with latent TB are not interested in getting treatment, but it’s vitally important for controlling the disease.

Almost 9 in 10 cases of active TB in California progressed from a latent infection, the news release said.

The strategy for control of tuberculosis includes treating active disease and screening and treatment of those with latent infections. Who should be tested?

  • People who were close contacts of someone with tuberculosis.

  • Those who came from a region where TB is common, such as Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

  • People living or working in higher risk environments including correctional facilities, shelters and care facilities.

  • Certain healthcare workers who may be exposed to patients with TB.

  • Children and adolescents living with adults at increased risk of infection.

For more information, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an online education page on tuberculosis.

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